Vietnam's VinFast announces it will cease production of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars and transition to all-electric vehicle production from late 2022.
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Along with the commitment to becoming an all-electric carmaker, VinFast officially launched a range of fully-electric vehicles: three models debuted in the A-B-C segments, VF 5 (segment A), VF 6 (segment B) and VF 7 (segment C); and two models VF e35 and VF e36 in the D and E segments (introduced at the 2021 LA Auto Show) now renamed as VF 8 and VF 9.
The removal of the "e" (electric) prefix in the names affirms the company's consistent all-electric orientation.
All five electric vehicles, with impressive and modern exteriors, were designed by world-renowned Italian design firms, Pininfarina and Torino Design.
The VF 8 and VF 9 models will be equipped with level 2+ Autonomous Driving features for the Eco and Plus versions and levels 3 - 4 for Premium versions. These models will also have smart features, including Smart Home, Mobile Office, In-car Shopping, In-car Entertainment, and many other convenient, advanced features that create an exhilarating experience for every journey and everyday life.
The company also officially announced retail pricing and a groundbreaking reservation campaign for the VF 8 and VF 9 in the US, Europe and Vietnam.
The initial price for the VF 8 is 41,000 USD in the US; starting from 36,133 EUR in Europe and 961 million VND in Vietnam, while the VF 9 will initially be priced at 56,000 USD (US); 49,280 EUR (Europe) and 1.312 billion VND (Vietnam). Each VinFast's EV comes with a warranty of 10 years or the first 200,000km (whichever comes first).
Notably, during the 3-month period from January 5 to April 5, 2022 (PST), VinFast will launch an exclusive membership program, called "VinFirst – Pioneer's Gratitude to Pioneers", offering early-bird reservation holders various rewards and benefits.
There will be many other future incentives for applicable customers in the US to join the VinFirst program. All early reservations can be refunded, gifted or transferred from April 6, 2022.
As well as sharing the pricing policy, VinFast announced an innovative battery lease program that will offer customers two subscription plans: "Flexible" (a minimum subscription fee for 300miles/500km per month, extra costs from the 301st mile/501st km) and "Fixed" (unlimited range).
The total monthly cost for driving VinFast EVs is approximately equal to gasoline costs in each market. Furthermore, VinFast will cover all expenses on battery maintenance and will replace the owner's used batteries for free when charging and discharging capacity falls below 70%. ■